China today warned Japan that its decision to purchase disputed islands in the East China Sea would damage the bilateral trade between the two countries.

Japan’s move to purchase the islands called Diaoyu Islands by China and Senkaku by Japan will certainly affect and damage development of economic and trade relations between the two countries, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said today.

“It is not what we wish to see, for which Japan should take full responsibility,” MOC spokesman Shen Danyang told a media conference here.

Japan is the third largest trade partner of China after EU and US. The trade relationship between the two countries tripled in the past decade to more than $340 billion.

“The farce of buying the Diaoyu Islands seriously violates China’s territorial sovereignty and severely hurts the feelings of the Chinese people, which have aroused strong indignation and opposition across the nation,” he said.

Protests demonstrations were held all over China during the past few days and a number of Japanese businesses have been closed after sporadic attacks.

Many Japanese enterprises have suspended production as agitated Chinese people staged protests to boycott Japanese goods.

Shen Danyang voiced support to rational patriotic activities, saying that the ministry will firmly oppose illegal behaviour involving smashing and looting during protests.

“Legitimate interests of foreign companies are under the protection of Chinese laws,” Shen Danyang said.

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